Officers warn parents about marijuana disguised as treats for trick-or-treaters

Officers warn parents about marijuana disguised as treats for trick-or-treaters

Share

Shares

Copy Link

{copyShortcut} to copy
Link copied!

Updated: 4:44 PM EDT Oct 24, 2016

Hide TranscriptShow Transcript

WEBVTT
EIR HANDS
ON MARIJUANA CANDY.
MICHELLE MEREDITH HAS THE STORY.
MICHELLE: AT THE CHILDREN'S
SAFETY VILLAGE IN ORLANDO, TOP
COPS FROM TWO COUNTIES, PLUS
REPS FROM DRUG FREE AMERICA AND
THE POISON CENTER, BLASTED
AMENDMENT TWO, THE AMENDMENT
THAT WOULD LEGALIZE MEDICAL
MARIJUANA IN FLORIDA.
>> WE DO NOT WANT TO EXPOSE OUR
CHILDREN TO A DANGER, JUST
ANOTHER DANGER.
MICHELLE: THEIR MAIN CONCERN?
THAT THE WAY THE ADMENDMENT IS
WRITTEN, WHICH ALLOWS MARIJUANA
IN THE FORM OF FOOD.
WILL OPEN THE DOOR TO MARIJUANA
CANDY, COOKIES AND OTHER EDIBLES
THAT CHILDREN COULD GET THEIR
HANDS ON, WHICH THEY SAY HAS
HAPPENED IN STATES THAT IS
LEGALIZE MARIJUANA LIKE
CALIFORNIA.
>> A GUMMY CANDY AT A TEENAGER'S
BIRTHDAY PARTY IS BLAMED FOR
SENDING 19 PEOPLE, MOST OF THEM
TEENS AND CHILDREN TO THE
HOSPITAL.
MICHELLE ANOTHER CONCERN VOICE,
IF AMENDMENT TO BECOMES LAW,
HALLOWEEN WILL FORCE PARENTS TO
LOOK FOR EDIBLE MARIJUANA.
WHO WOULD DO THAT?
WHO WOULD PUT RAZOR BLADES
AND APPLES, NEEDLES A
PRODUCTS?
PEOPLE THAT ARE MEAN.
MICHELLE: YES ON 2'S JOHN MORGAN
SAYS STATE LAW MAKERS WOULD HAVE
THE FINAL SAY ON WHAT FORM THE
MARIJUANA WOULD TAKE, AND CALLS
TODAY'S NEWS CONFERENCE A SCARE
TACTIC.
>> NO ONE HAS EVER DIED FROM
INGESTING MARIJUANA.
MICHELLE: TWO NEWS CONFERENCE,
COMMUNITY AND STATE LEADERS SAY
THE PERCEPTION OF HARM FOR YOUNG
TEENS GO DOWN WHEN MARIJUANA
TAKES THE FORM OF CANDY.
BUT AGAIN, PROPENTS OF
AMENDMENTY 2 CALL THIS FEA
MONGERING AND SAY THAT'S NOT
WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
WE'LL SEE WHAT THE VOTERS SAY O
NOVEMBER 8.
IN ORANGE COUNTY, MICHELLE

Officers warn parents about marijuana disguised as treats for trick-or-treaters

With Halloween a week away, local law enforcement officers have a warning for parents when it comes to their kids’ candy.

Deputies said parents of trick-or-treaters should be on the lookout for marijuana that’s being disguised as treats.

Advertisement

Top law enforcement officers from two counties met with representatives with Drug Free America and officials with Florida’s Poison Control Centers at the Children’s Safety Village of Central Florida to issue a warning about Amendment 2, which would legalize medical marijuana in Florida.

Officers said their main concern is the way the Amendment is written, and the fact that marijuana in the form of food could open the door to marijuana candy, cookies and other edibles.

Officers are afraid that children could get their hands on "edibles" containing marijuana, which they said has happened in states like California where marijuana was legalized.

"A gummy bear at a teen’s birthday party is being blamed for sending 19 people, mostly teens and children, to the hospital," Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said.

Another concern is that if the Amendment becomes a law, a team of experts believes that next Halloween, parents will have yet another dangerous item to check for inside their child’s bag of candy.

"Well, who would put razors in apples? Who would put needles in products? People who are mean," Calvina Fay, with Drug Free America, said.

The organization Yes on 2’s John Morgan said state lawmakers would have the final say on what form the marijuana would take and calls Monday’s news conference a scare tactic.

"No one has ever died from ingesting marijuana," Morgan said.

Community and state leaders involved in Monday’s news conference closed the meeting by saying for young teens, there’s a perception of harm that goes down when marijuana takes the form of candy.

Those who are in favor of Amendment 2 said it’s "fear mongering" and said that’s not what is going to happen.